To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Bill Detweiler, Director of Development Services
Title
Ordinance Amending Section 17.04.040 of the Castle Rock Municipal Code Regarding the Criteria for Conducting Neighborhood Meetings Prior to and During the Land Development Process (Second Reading) (First Reading on October 4, 2016 with vote of 5-0)
Body
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Town Council voted 5 - 0 to approve the neighborhood meeting ordinance amendment on first reading October 4, 2016.
Executive Summary
The Castle Rock community is continually changing. Residential and business growth is occurring at a rapid pace making it critical to keep interested parties aware of all land development activity.
On October 4, 2016, Council heard the neighborhood ordinance amendment. Council received a positive recommendation from the Planning Commission and did not receive any public input. Council voted 5 - 0 to approve the neighborhood meeting ordinance amendment on first reading. Following Council action on October 4, 2016, staff did not receive any inquiries about the ordinance.
Based upon community feedback and giving consideration to the Town’s methods of communicating development activity during previous rapid growth periods, and Council approval on first reading by a vote of 5 - 0, staff is seeking recommending Council approval of the neighborhood ordinance on second reading.
Background
The Town has provided a variety of methods to keep interested parties updated on development activity. “Coffee with Corsie”, a monthly breakfast meeting to review land use applications and major construction projects throughout town, was initiated by Art Corsie, Director of Development Services between 2004-2006, and that theme was continued by me under the title “Bagels with Bill” between 2006-2011. Staff implemented the Colorado American Planning Association (APA) award winning “In Your Backyard” electronic fact sheet program in 2008. At the same time Town Council was conducting road show meetings within the community and consistently held Homeowner Association (HOA) meetings in Council Chambers. Attendance at the programs noted above also dwindled with a reduction in development activity around 2008 so the Town Council decided to stop the roadshows and HOA meetings.
Discussion
In 2009 the Town Council passed a resolution to encourage neighborhood meetings and this was used as a policy until 2012. In 2012 Town Council adopted an amendment to the zoning code application process “strongly encouraging” applicants to conduct neighborhood meetings to ensure interested parties were aware of the details of an application. Since that time staff has reinforced the need for applicants to conduct neighborhood meetings, but not all applicants do so given it is encouraged and not required.
Existing Municipal Code, Section 17.01.040 language reads:
Applicants are encouraged to hold neighborhood meetings on development applications. The Development Procedures Manual establishes guidelines for neighborhood meetings.
Staff is proposing a text amendment that would require applicants to conduct neighborhood meetings in the following manner, amending the Municipal Code language to read:
Applicants are required to hold neighborhood meetings on development applications in accord with the provisions below. The Development Procedures Manual establishes guidelines for neighborhood meetings. The neighborhood meeting must be held within one year prior to an application submittal.
A. Applicants who submit annexation and zoning applications concurrently are required to conduct neighborhood meetings; one meeting prior to application submittal and if deemed necessary, one meeting following application acceptance by the Town. In addition, Town staff may request that an Applicant conduct additional neighborhood meetings.
B. Applicants who submit zoning and PD amendment applications are required to conduct neighborhood meetings; one meeting prior to application submittal to the Town and if deemed necessary, one meeting following application acceptance by the Town. In addition, Town staff may request that an Applicant conduct additional neighborhood meetings.
C. Town staff may request Applicants who submit applications for site development plans, interface or Use By Special Review conduct a neighborhood meeting prior to application submittal to the Town, and Town staff may also request a neighborhood meeting following application acceptance by the Town.
The goal is to ensure that the applicant and interested parties can be involved and provide feedback before and during the land application review process and that staff has an opportunity, if needed and prior to public hearings with the Planning Commission and Town Council, to conduct additional neighborhood meetings if there are specific unresolved issues about an application. In addition, staff offers that given the consistent level of development activity and predicting such activity will continue for several more years, that the Bagels with Bill program is reinstated to ensure that residents, business owners and interested parties have an opportunity to hear and receive information about development activity and construction activity throughout the town.
On September 8, 2016, the Planning Commission at public hearing reviewed the proposed changes requested by the ordinance amending Section 17.040.040 of the Castle Rock Municipal Code regarding the criteria for conducting neighborhood meetings prior to and during the land development process. The Planning Commission requested revision of the language within the first sentence of the ordinance to clarify any potential conflict. The Planning Commission by a vote of 7 in favor and 0 opposed moved to recommend to Town Council to approve the ordinance with the condition of language revision. Staff subsequently revised the first sentence as follows, “Applicants are required to hold neighborhood meetings on development applications in accord with the provisions below.”
Planning Commission also discussed the need for an ordinance that clearly defined the intent to give staff the discretion to determine when neighborhood meetings would be likely to enhance the development process, and they recognized the benefits attendant to better ensuring an opportunity for community outreach associated with development applications. Therefore, staff slightly modified the Ordinance to address the issues raised by Planning Commission and to better reflect that intent.
Recommendation
The Planning Commission at the September 8, 2016, public hearing recommends Town Council approve an Ordinance Amending Section 17.04.040 of the Town of Castle Rock Municipal Code requiring that applicants conduct neighborhood meetings with the condition that the first paragraph be amended with better clarifying language to get rid of any possible conflict between the first paragraph and subsequent paragraphs.
Proposed Motion
I move to approve the Ordinance as introduced by title.
Attachments
Attachment A: Ordinance